Middlesbrough will be travelling to Preston North End with the same squad this weekend, with no injured players yet ready to return.

However, with Tommy Conway now in the latter stages of his rehabilitation programme after suffering a hamstring injury on Boxing Day, Michael Carrick admits the striker is desperate to get back in and around the group.

He could have a chance of being back in the squad for the Sunderland game a week on Monday. On top of that, Jonny Howson isn't far behind the striker after his injury comeback was disrupted by a calf problem, as he also steps up his rehab programme.

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Carrick said: “Jonny is working his way back. He’s on the grass with the sports science and rehab team. He’s not back training with us yet, but he is on his way. Tommy is a little bit further on. We’ll have to see how quickly we want to get him back in. He’s really pushing and he’s desperate to get back, as you can imagine. We’ll make a call on that, but he’s certainly getting closer."

On the squad in general for the weekend, after Luke Ayling and Aidan Morris made their first starts since injury on Tuesday against West Brom, the Boro head coach continued: “We won’t have anyone coming back into the group for Saturday. That will be something maybe going into next week or going into the Sunderland game, we’ll have to see. Both Luke and Aidan reacted really well to their first starts for some time.

"Luke had been ill before the game as well. He used his experience well to cope with that and came through it well physically, with no problems. Aidan was exactly the same. Big step for him to get through the whole game, play well and feel good, so that was a big positive."

Anfernee Dijskteel and Riley McGree will again be missing, as Carrick revealed earlier in the week they'd be facing a week or two out after suffering niggling injuries in training in the build-up to last weekend's defeat at Portsmouth. Beyond that, longer-term absentees are Sol Brynn, Alex Bangura, Tommy Smith and Darragh Lenihan.